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この前、一緒に料理を教えてもらって、ばぁばと色々話せて、すごく嬉しかったよ。

I heard this line in a TV drama, but I am bugged by the use of 一緒に in it. The protagonist says this to her ailing grandma by her deathbed. She recalls how her grandma taught her how to cook. I don't see how 一緒に is justified in this sentence since the protagonist is the only person that the grandma taught to cook. Including the listener, the grandmother, in the action (learning from Grandma) doesn't make much sense to me. In comparison, 勉強方法も一緒に教えてもらった (in addition to the content) and 母と一緒に先生に教えてもらってる both make sense because the clusivity in these two utterances matches the semantics. Why 一緒に here in the line at issue?

For reference, a clip of this scene can be found here, just in case I misheard it. The flashbacks also show one-on-one instruction. I thought of 一心に, but it doesn't seem like it either.

Eddie Kal
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    Isn't it just emphasizing the togetherness of the whole thing? So it seems to me. It feels like it makes the memory more endearing. Without 一緒に, this mutually shared activity could might just sound like a rather one-sided affair. – A.Ellett Nov 13 '21 at 01:31
  • @A.Ellett If it were another action without the giving/taking aspect, I would be fine with 一緒に in there. I feel like 教えてもらう puts the two people on different sides, so to speak, but I don't know... – Eddie Kal Nov 13 '21 at 01:36
  • I'd thought about that too. In English that definitely sounds odd, but somehow in Japanese it doesn't sound odd to me (me, a non-native speaker... so what do i know!). It seems to me like it's almost saying "I enjoyed learning from you; I wanted to be there; I wasn't like other kids my age who would rather be playing video games (or whatever) than being stuck with their grandmother in the kitchen" So, 一緒に gives a sense (to me, mr. non-native speaker) that this activity was joined in willing and joyfully by both. – A.Ellett Nov 13 '21 at 01:40
  • I agree it sounds like 一緒に, but then wondered if she was saying 一生に meaning 'all her life'. – Shin Bikkuriman Dec 05 '21 at 12:21
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    いえ、、確かに「一緒に」って言ってますよ。 – Chocolate Dec 05 '21 at 12:49

1 Answers1

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This is my take on the question, but I'd like to hear others' opinions.

Your question is quite sound. In fact, if I choose to be strict, I'd say its use is not quite orthodox. If I were to proofread the script, I would probably at least mention the part for rephrasing. As you state in the question, "一緒に" can most naturally seen in contexts such as

  • （先生に）母と一緒に料理を教えてもらっている．
    • : My mother and I are taught together.
  • （祖母に）勉強方法も一緒に教えてもらった
    • : Grandma taught me how to cook and how to study.

Compared to these usage, 「(祖母に)一緒に料理を教えてもらって」is less natural. Not in the sense "Native speakers don't write like that", but "On a second thought, it is slightly illogical". That being said, the text doesn't sound strange, especially with the actor's performance, and any Japanese speaker may prefer it this way.

As @A.Ellett mentions in the comment, the 一緒に emphasizes the toghether-ness of the activity, giving even more touching aspect. 「一緒に料理を教えてもらって」provokes an image of the two cooking together, the protagonist learning from the other. (Plain 「料理を教えてもらって」 doesn't imply any one-sidedness, though.) Allowing me to be sentimental, I'd say 一緒に came first because being together is what she is remembering sweetly the most. Together they did cook, where grandma taught the protagonist.

Yosh
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